The global reach of the University of Michigan alumni network is unparalleled, meaning that wherever you go, a Wolverine is likely to be there. U-M grads lend their expertise to a broad range of industries, hail from 181 countries, and wear their block Ms with pride. I’m sure we have all had the experience of shouting “Go Blue!” in unexpected places — maybe sharing a brief Michigan moment with perfect strangers who turn out to be members of the Wolverine family.
I treasure these Michigan moments, especially when traveling and spending time with alumni in their home communities. Sometimes it seems the block M resonates even stronger the further you get from Ann Arbor, Dearborn, or Flint. One of my favorite experiences is the Pan Asia Alumni Reunion, where hundreds of U-M alumni convene from across Asia to engage with each other and U-M leaders and faculty like Dr. Zhen Xu, MS’03, PhD’05, who is at the forefront of biomedical engineering due to her histotripsy research. In May, I had the privilege of networking not just with alumni attendees, but also with current Ross School of Business students who were in Hong Kong for an immersion program. There is magic in facilitating intergenerational connections among Wolverines.
Whether these moments happen in the States, abroad, or in Northern Michigan on the shore of Walloon Lake at Camp Michigania, I am regularly reminded of the strength of our Wolverine community, and how each generation plays a role in strengthening our ties. In June, we welcomed more than 70 alumni club and affiliate leaders to Ann Arbor for the Community Leader Workshop. It was a delight to see familiar faces back on campus, including two recent grads I’ve known since their early college days. Zoe Evans, ’21, and Jumanah Saadeh, MA’19, were both engaged student leaders and have now transitioned from passionate students to inspiring alumni volunteer leaders. You can learn more about our new affiliate groups here.
As the school year has kicked off, the University welcomed another record-breaking first-year class. I want to extend a special thank you to all of the alumni who helped these students along their journey, including the Alumni Student Recruiters. The ASR program is a partnership between Undergraduate Admissions and the Alumni Association, and this year, we celebrate 25 years of volunteer service and recruitment activities. Read more about the history of the program here.
I also had the great pleasure of chatting with students that are part of our Mbassadors program. These students are a wonderful representation of the Leaders and Best and I really enjoyed getting to know some of them better.
Whether it’s on campus or an alumni event in your community, I hope you’ll continue making those Michigan moments. We are better together.
Ayanna McConnell is the president and CEO of the Alumni Association of the University of Michigan.
